The Caged Bird Sings
by Infernal Blossom
Summary: Axel never planned on being a member of Organization XIII. How did he end up there? Mariko knows her home isn't really hers. Where does she belong? Two people fight against all odds and forces to be reunited with each other, no matter what the cost. Mainly covers KH2, flowing into 3D later on. Also includes some 358/2 Days, CoM & BBS. Rating may change in chapters. Changing PoV.
1. Axel I: Business as Usual

_Lea was pumped. Sparring with Ventus gave him an adrenaline rush, and he didn't care that he was losing. It was the most fun he'd had in a while. Isa watched closely, waiting for his friend to finish getting beaten so they could move on with their day. After taking another hit, Lea fell to the floor, panting. "You...had enough? 'Cause I'm willing to...call it a draw if you are."_

"_Huh?" Ventus backed off, a bit confused. It quickly turned into a smile as he relaxed. "Right."_

_Isa, glad the match was finally done, approached his friend, his head shaking. "From where I stood, the only thing you drew was a big L on your forehead for 'loser', 'lame', laughable'..." He stopped next to Lea._

"_Wha?" The venetian-haired teen groaned while looking up at Isa. "Isn't this the part where ya cheer me up or something?" He crossed his arms. "You're just havin' a bad day, or... That's what you get for pullin' your punches!" A sigh escaped his lips. "Some friend."_

"_Oh, you mean I was supposed to lie."_

_Another groan, followed by a roll of emerald-hued eyes and the teen laying himself on the ground, folding his hands behind his head. "You see what I gotta put up with? Sure hope you don't have friends like him." He smirked at Ven to show the sarcasm he mirrored from Isa, bringing the blond Keyblade wielder to chuckle. The two friends joined him in laughter._

_Their laughter settled down, and Isa brought his friend's focus back to their objective. "Lea, we have to go."_

"_'Kay." Isa began to walk as Lea stood up, brushing the dirt off his pants._

"_Already?" Ven asked, disappointment evident in his voice. He was just starting to feel better about the Terra situation, and the company of Lea and Isa was nice, too._

_Lea could hear the chagrin in Ventus' question. "I'll see ya when I see ya. After all, we're friends now." He and Ven exchanged grins, and he added, "Get it memorized."_

"_Okay, Lea."_

_Ven watched Lea begin to follow after Isa, when the spiky-haired teen stopped momentarily. "Great, where'd she go now?" he grumbled, looking all around him. "Where are you?" Lea yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth. Going along with Lea's direction of sight, Ventus spotted a child peeking from behind one of the retaining walls, staring at both of them. "There you are. Quit hiding and come on already!" He watched her slowly move around the wall and walk closer to Lea and Isa. She couldn't have been older than six, and by the way she kept her arms curled around herself, was deeply frightened about something. She paused and glanced at Ventus for a second, then ran to Lea, whose foot was tapping impatiently. "Stop doing that. Mom already said there's nothing bad out here."_

"_B-but..." The girl quickly grasped Lea's arm and squeezed. "But the monsters-" She was silenced when Lea pat her head, ruffling her hair._

"_Listen." He knelt down beside her, bringing her hand down to his. "The monsters are just pretend. They're not real. It's just the monster in your closet: if you tell yourself they're not real, they'll go away." The girl felt a little better, though not enough to smile. "And if there ARE any monsters out there, I'll get rid of them." Lea pointed to her and lightly tapped her forehead. "Can you memorize that for me?" Suddenly, the girl's fear diminished, revealing the smile Lea was waiting to see, and she nodded. "There you go. Now come on, we don't want to keep Isa waiting any longer." He stood up and offered his hand to her, leading her to their waiting friend._

_Isa quietly watched the ordeal between them. "What is it with you and picking up stray puppies?" he asked in reference to his sparring match with Ventus._

_Lea shrugged his shoulders. "I want everyone I meet to remember me. Inside people's memories, I can live forever." His friend rolled his eyes._

"_I know I won't forget you. Believe me, I try all the time." His comment made the little girl giggle._

"_See? I'm immortal." He received another eye-roll._

"_You're obnoxious." It was then their gazes moved upward at the nearby castle, smirking in unison. "You ready?" Lea stared in silence, but the girl jumped in place with a huge grin. "I see you are." Tightening his hand around hers, Lea led his sister alongside Isa through the rest of the central square, continuing where they'd left off._

* * *

><p>Axel sat on the window ledge, staring through the glass barrier of his room to the outside world. The moon was approaching its peak in the night sky, losing its circular shape to the heart formation he'd heard of from the others. Kingdom Hearts, he'd been told from day one, was what they were after. Its completion would, in turn, make every member of Organization XIII a complete being. No longer would they drift from world to world as shells of their former selves, wandering with a hole in their chest and living off their memories of a life before this. But he knew it would be a long time coming for him – <em>if<em> it ever did come. His chances were slim to none, based on the comparative observations he made with himself and the other Organization members. Hell, even Demyx had more of a chance of regaining his heart than Axel did; he wasn't walking a tightrope like his superior.

There was a knock at his door, dragging him out from thoughts of having a heart. He wanted to ignore it, to let the person on the other side know that he was done dealing with everyone for the day. A second knock came, and he became aware that any relaxation would have to come later. Reluctantly, the Organization member forced himself to answer the door, knowing it was the only way the sound would be silenced. Upon pushing the barrier free from the wall, he was met with a stare that envied the harvest moon, a large X etched in the center of the owner's face. "Axel," he called the venetian-haired man's name, "you have another mission."

"_Another _mission?" That's all his so-called life was made of: passing the days with mission after mission, whether it was performing reconnaissance or helping the Organization's Keyblade wielder collect hearts for their ultimate goal. _He_ was the escort this time, differing from the days where he required one to travel from world to world. He hated babysitting from both ends. Axel let out a sigh, having a feeling it'd be another recon mission. They were the worst of the batch, annoying him to no end with searching for information to pass on to their leader. He never knew what would be deemed important or useless. "What is it this time, Saix? More recon?" He didn't receive an answer, and instead was handed a paper folded in quarters. "Okay..." Then the order came.

"Lord Xemnas requires you to perform reconnaissance in Twilight Town. There are reports of strange activity, and a spike in the amount of Heartless appearing. You're to keep track of their numbers and eliminate them, as well as keep a look out for anything out of the ordinary." Saix motioned his eyes toward the paper. Axel, catching on quickly, unfolded the paper and read the words inscribed on it. By the third line, he was sighing again. "Roxas will be accompanying you. Depart as soon as you're both ready." The second-in-command Nobody stepped away from the door and turned to his right, leaving his subordinate to prepare for the mission ahead of him.

"Great..." Axel grumbled. He tossed the paper out of his grasp. "He just couldn't wait for me to walk into the Gray Area..." The venetian red-haired Nobody rolled his eyes. He knew the situation was out of his hands, and figured he'd better get going before the boss' lap cat got on his case again. Roxas would most likely be waiting for him in the lounge, and he didn't want to keep his friend waiting. Rolling his shoulders, Axel walked out of his room and closed the door, trying his best to forget Saix's note. It was the last thing he wanted on his mind when seeing his friend.

As suspected, Roxas was waiting for him in the Gray Area, patiently sitting on one of the couches. Hearing footsteps, the dark blond's head perked up and he turned around to see his best friend entering the room. "Hey, Axel," he said with a wave and a smile, the latter fading when he noticed the expression on his face. "Something wrong?"

"Hm?" Axel looked up at his friend. "Oh, sorry. It's nothing. Just want to get this mission over with." He let out a fake yawn and stretched an arm over his head, tossing some stray red strands back into place. His face reverted to a more relaxed one as he approached No. XIII, bringing the grin back to his friend's. In the back of his mind, he cursed himself for showing any sort of sadness or worry. He shouldn't be showing anything anyway, since he lacked the heart necessary for emotional responses. No. VIII made a mental note to not think about Saix's notes or orders when meeting up with Roxas. The less the Keyblade wielder knew, the better. It was bad enough that Demyx knew. "So, you ready to head out? Today's mission is in-"

Roxas pushed himself up from the couch. "Twilight Town. Saix filled me in on all the details." Axel nodded, though he knew Xemnas' pet would've left out a few crucial ones when speaking to Roxas. "I wonder why so many Heartless suddenly appeared."

Axel shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows? That's why he's sending the best team Organization XIII has to offer." He moved forward, patting Roxas lightly on the back as he passed him, and lifted his arm. His palm pointed to one of the windows and in seconds, a dark portal opened. "Let's get this over with." Roxas nodded and followed after the venetian-haired Nobody, silence going with them for the duration of the trip to the next world.

Their trip to the destination didn't have much conversation. The friends discussed shenanigans they'd encountered on separate missions and talked about their next ice cream outing, but Axel expressed a disinterest in relaxing once the Heartless were taken care of. The remainder of the walk was quiet, with No. VIII leading the entire time. His lack of snarky comments worried Roxas, only heightening his suspicion of what could be wrong. But his worry was placed on the back burner when they exited the corridor. Saix's report didn't sugar-coat anything about the activity in Twilight Town. There were at least three times the average amount of Heartless lurking around, and every single one seemed stronger than the Organization members recalled. The Shadows had the largest surge in numbers, and swarmed them immediately upon arrival. Axel quickly took action and cleared the creatures nearest them with a burst of swirling fire, providing a pathway for his Keyblade-wielding friend. Roxas took point afterward, allowing the Keyblade to guide them to each new swarm. While he fought, Axel assisted and kept mental notes of the number of enemies in each area. "Where are all these things coming from?" Roxas hissed in annoyance, slicing a soon-to-pounce Shadow in half.

"If I knew, they'd all be gone right now!" Axel replied, just as annoyed. The two Nobodies were getting tired: physically from exerting so much energy with each fight, and mentally as the numbers seemed to grow instead of shrink. "Something has to be drawing them here..." Green and blue eyes scanned the surrounding area, watching and counting how many Heartless originated from what access point. "That way." Roxas looked away from a defeated creature momentarily to see his partner pointing in the direction of the sandlot. They defeated the remaining Heartless in the area and ran for the sandlot, dodging the attacks of any that materialized in their path. Once they made it, both Nobodies skid to a halt, finding the source of all the trouble. "Well, well. Look at what we've got here." Yards before them, an enormous insect-like Heartless was sitting in the middle of the area, its physique easily towering over two stories. Countless lesser ones spawned around it, almost as if they were guarding it. "Should've know the bastards had a queen."

"Just because it's the queen doesn't mean we can't take it out," the Key of Destiny commented as he prepared a spell to blast at the monster. He had a point; in a sense, the building-sized Heartless were easier to take out than the lackeys. Those that were two stories or taller were usually the only ones in the area of that size, fell hard and took a nice chunk of damage. When it came to the small fry, he sometimes never knew how many more would reappear. At least they knew with the disposal of the queen, the rest would most likely fall. Axel provided a cover for Roxas to ready himself by bringing up a wall of fire to surround the leader. Its lackeys were quickly incinerated, leaving it alone with the Nobodies. Roxas knew he had to act fast; as soon as Axel lowered the flame wall, it'd try to summon more underlings. "Okay, I'm ready!" Axel nodded and called back his flames, giving Roxas the perfect opening to send the charged electrical spell at the Heartless' head. It blocked with a pincer, which was immediately destroyed. The teenager growled. If it hadn't blocked the damn thing would've died at full tilt. Both he and Axel were aware that spell-charging wouldn't cut it. They'd have to slice its limbs off before going for the final kill.

"So what's the plan?" Axel asked, knowing time was of the essence.

Roxas studied the Heartless queen's movements. She wasn't too erratic, pretty calm for an insect-type. "The limbs are in the way. I say we chop 'em off to give us an opening."

A chuckle left the older Nobody's lips. "Brutal. I like it." It was then the lesser Heartless began spawning again. "Ignore the small ones for now. Cut through them to the main target." Roxas nodded and the two jumped into action. The Keyblade wielder jumped upward and right, aiming for the second pincer on the main torso, while Axel ducked to his left and dealt with the more problematic part: the tail. One by one, the pincers fell and vanished, until the creature was armless. Roxas joined his partner in getting rid of the largest pincer on the tail, both narrowly avoiding contact with it's thorn-like teeth. Axel was the one to crack the pincer, throwing his chakrams like darts and creating a contact explosion. The creature had mere moments to cry in agony before Roxas sent a second electrical spell to its face, this time hitting the mark, and then it dissipated into the air. As predicted, the small fry all retreated, leaving Twilight Town in peace. Roxas lowered his Keyblade. "Mission accomplished."

Seeing no more Heartless around, Axel huffed. "About damn time. If I saw one more Heartless, I would've exploded. Literally."

"Aww, you can relax now," Roxas jokingly reassured his friend. "Or do we need to get you some ice cream?" He pat Axel's shoulder, feeling the sudden tension in the venetian-haired man.

"...Not today, Roxas." He didn't have to turn his head to see the perplexed stare the teen gave him. "Look, why don't you head back to the castle without me? I'll wrap up things here and meet with you later."

"You sure nothing's wrong?"

He got a weak nod. "Yeah. Besides, I'd rather report to Saix so you don't have to deal with him. He can be a real pain sometimes." Though Roxas wanted to protest and stay, he could sense something off with his friend, and got the vibe that he needed some space. As much as he didn't want to, he agreed to go. "See ya later." Roxas turned around and left the sandlot, heading in the direction of their rendezvous point. Once he saw the blond disappear down the path, Axel knew they would show themselves. And as if on cue, three Dusks revealed themselves, either crawling out of their hiding places or materializing out of the ground. Axel crossed his arms. "So he sent three to keep an eye on me this time..." He sucked his teeth, growing annoyed again. It'd been like this ever since he joined Organization XIII. The Flurry of Dancing Flames was under constant surveillance when he ventured to other worlds. It used to be another member escorting him, but for the last four years, it'd been the Dusks. When alone on his missions, he ignored their presence, laying his focus on completing the mission as fast as possible so the superiors watching knew he was doing exactly as he was ordered. With each passing day, though, and each mission he had to endure with the prying eyes of the Dusks, the irritation within skyrocket. It was now at the point where even hearing the lesser Nobody's official name triggered a migraine. That moment was no different.

"You heard what he said," Axel said to the Dusks in a higher volume as he started to pace in front of them. "Mission accomplished. Always has been, always will be. But you know what?" He stopped mid-step. "There _was_ one thing that wasn't. Hang on, let me see if I remember what. Oh, right." Before any of them could react, the three empty shelled beings were sucked into a raging inferno, burnt beyond recognition in any existence, all with a snap of his fingers. He finally had some privacy. Axel clapped his hands, wiping any charred remains from his gloves, and started walking. "_Now_ the mission is accomplished."


	2. Mariko I: School Days

_Thunder pounded through the enraged clouds, proving the storm they resided in to be a fierce one. But the storm was more bark than bite, only creating loud noises and lacking in lightning or winds too strong. The rain was moderate, coming down just hard enough where people thought it best to seek shelter in a building or under their personal umbrellas. In a bit of a hurry, a woman struggled to open her umbrella. "Come on..." she beckoned, trying furiously to get the mechanism unstuck. After a fifth failed attempt, she sucked her teeth in frustration and looked down at the girl next to her. " Ready to run, sweetie?" she asked, grabbing the young girl's hand tight and sprinting toward the nearest building. The two found refuge from the storm inside a small shop selling coffee and other things, umbrellas among them. The woman felt relief spread through her body, and wasn't surprised to see the shopkeeper approach them with dry, folded towels. She gladly took them and shook one open, placing it on her daughter's head and gently patting down._

"_Nasty weather, eh, Cyna?" the shopkeeper addressed her, kneeling down to the shivering child's level. "You two got caught pretty bad out there."_

_The young child looked up at him, irises of fern hues staring wide at the older gentleman. "Someone must be real sad," she told him, folding her fingers into each other. "M-mama said the rain means there's a sad person somewhere close." The shopkeeper chuckled and reached forward, plucking a section of hair that stuck to her face from the water, and pushed it away._

_Her mother removed the soaked towel and handed it to the store owner, using the other as a blanket to wrap around her daughter's shoulders. "Yes," her mother replied, "And do you know what we do when someone's sad, Olette?" She looked up and instantly flashed a big grin. "That's right, because the more we smile when it rains, the sooner the sad person will see that everything will be alright." The shopkeeper, who'd briefly vanished to the back of the store, returned to them with another pair of towels. "Thank you so much, Robben."_

"_It's no trouble at all," he replied, holding his hand out to take the wet towels away. "Let's just hope the rain calms down soon. Storm came out of nowhere."_

"_Ugh, tell me about it." Cyna rolled her eyes, then let out a long sigh and shook out her nearly dried brunette hair. "I don't get it. It was so beautiful this morning. Then one o' clock comes, and this storm catches us off guard. And if it wasn't bad enough, my umbrella broke right when it got heavy." She held up the malfunctioning mechanism and demonstrated the problem. "No matter how hard I push, it just won't open." She handed it to Robben, who immediately inspected the problem area._

_He shook his head. "Yeah, looks like a manufacturer's error. Funny how it happened today. And not just yours, either. Seems everyone who bought this brand is having problems all of a sudden." The middle aged man closed the umbrella and wrapped it up. "Tell ya what: I'll take this thing off your hands and return it to them myself. And you can take a brand new one from the rack, free of charge."_

"_Are you sure?" Olette's mother asked. When he nodded, neither of them could help smiling. "Again, thank you so much, Robben. We don't know what we would've done without you." She bowed her head in thanks._

_Robben let out a soft chuckle. "Now, now, no need to be so formal. You've been a loyal customer for years, Cyna, and it's about time I expressed some gratitude of my own." The thunder roared again, cutting him short. "Whoa. Sounds like it's getting bad out there. You two should hurry home before anything happens."_

_Cyna nodded. "Alright. Olette, honey, what do you say to Robben?" She looked down at her five-year old daughter._

"_Thank you, Mr. Robben!" Olette exclaimed, jumping forward and hugging the man's leg. Neither adult could resist laughing. She quickly let go and entwined her hand with her mother's. With a last wave, Cyna opened their new umbrella and the two left the dry confines of the store._

_The wind had picked up, blowing hard against anyone daring to walk outside. Cyna kept a tight grip around her daughter's hand, not wanting her to get left behind in this horrible weather. It was strange, though: she couldn't remember seeing a storm this bad pass through Twilight Town, not even when she was a child. "What on earth could be cau- WHOA!" A swift gust attacked the two, diving under their umbrella and swooping upward to carry it away. Cyna's wet fingers easily lost their grip on the rubber handle. Olette held onto her mother's legs, watching through her hair as the umbrella flew into a darkened alleyway. "Not again..." she grumbled, seeing it vanish behind some crates. "Hold on tight, sweetie. We'll have the umbrella back soon." Using her body to shield Olette from the rain, Cyna crouched and ran toward the alley, both of them narrowly missing a puddle. They went behind two rows of crates and easily spotted the bright orange umbrella behind a third._

"_Found it!" Olette cheered as she reached for it, but was stopped when they both heard something above the rain. It was soft, subtle, but Cyna could definitely hear a child whimpering. She looked down at her daughter, and upon the realization that it wasn't Olette, slowly lifted the umbrella. The two were greeted with eyes like the forest, large and dripping with tears that mixed with the raindrops, partially hidden by thick, wet locks of venetian red. A shivering child, curled up in a ball and leaning against the lowest crate, sniveled and wiped her face on her water-soaked sweater. Cyna was taken aback. Olette looked up at her mother, then back to the child and said, "She's causing the rain, Mama."_

* * *

><p>A tone rang from the intercom, signaling the end of the school day. Students piled into the halls and stairwells, moving in a surprisingly orderly fashion to exit the building. Everyone – the students, the faculty, and especially the janitors – were glad the day was over, and with it, the week. All of them would get to enjoy a relaxing weekend at home...unless they had homework to tend to first. Olette's science class was one of those unfortunate circumstances, thought she didn't mind. She loved learning, and science was her favorite subject. The assignment was easy: just a chapter review from the textbook, and preliminary ideas for their end-of-the-year group science projects. She already had one partner in mind, and she knew said partner would happily accept. "We've gotta start thinking of ideas as soon as possible," she told her partner as they walked out of the school building. "This project will determine a good chunk of our final grade for the year, so it has to be good."<p>

"Relax, Olette," her friend replied, patting her shoulder, "we'll get it done. And it'll be the best project in the class. Let's just hope the other two will actually get work done."

"I'm not worried about Pence," the brunette replied, "but Hayner? Yeah, I'll leave him to you, Mariko."

Mariko stopped mid-step and stared at her. "You're not being serious, right? Pssh, like that hothead'll listen to me." Olette spun around to face Mariko, who she knew would being to mock the leader of their tight-knit circle of friends. The teen widened the space between her feet and stuck her fist in the air, assuming Hayner's classic stance. "He think's he's so smart and tough. Please, the guy barely knows the difference between torque and velocity. Just wait 'til the Struggle tournament this summer. Once we're in the finals, I'll kick his ass into the next school year. _Then_ we'll see who's smarter," She relaxed her pose and caught up to Olette, and noticed the brunette girl laughing to herself. "What?"

"Oh, nothing." Olette stuck her tongue out at Mariko. "It just sounds like you two will get together sooner than I thought." Her venetian-haired companion tripped over her feet, simultaneously dropping her school bag and all its contents as an awkward squeal escaped her mouth. Olette laughed again and knelt down next to her, lending a hand to pick up her books. "Though I don't think Mom would approve of him being your boyfriend. She already thinks he's too much of a hothead." She helped Mariko stand and brushed the dirt from her clothes, and upon seeing the vexation on her face, couldn't help laughing some more.

"Okay, first of all? Eww." Mariko slung the bag over her shoulder again and huffed. No one knew the source of it, but a rumor surfaced that either Hayner liked Mariko or the opposite. Students started placing bets on who'd ask who out, when they'd come out as a couple, and any other things they could think of. Both mentioned parties quickly caught wind of the bets and were even quicker to deny the claims, only vowing to silence those responsible. The rumors quieted for a while, so for it to be brought up easily annoyed Mariko. "Second? If I date Hayner, that means you're dating Seifer."

Olette fell silent at her remark and immediately turned around. "So, uh, shall we start coming up with ideas?"

"Exactly."

Anyone in Twilight Town who'd ever come across Mariko and Olette compared their friendship to more of a sisterly bond. They were inseparable from a young age and were rarely seen apart. Being a year older, Mariko was easily seen as the older sibling, though Olette more than often displayed the more mature demeanor. Their personalities were quite similar and there were few differences between the two; they even shared the same shade of green for eye color. The biggest contrast between the two was their hair: Olette's being a calm, curly chestnut brown, while Mariko's was a bright venetian red with face-framing bangs and long, spiky haired pulled into a ponytail. Many saw Mariko as the second-in-command for their group, making sure Hayner's plans or antics were never too outrageous, and the two had a competitive streak going on for years. She didn't enjoy shopping as much as her sister did, and generally preferred relaxing by herself in the sandlot when Seifer's gang wasn't there. Her friends sometimes questioned this odd isolation she put herself through, even wondering if there was something wrong, but Mariko assured them all was well. They believed her every time, but worry for her always lingered, mostly in Olette. The last thing she wanted to see was her sister – blood or not – suffering from something she couldn't fix.

"Hmm..." Mariko tapped a finger to her chin. "Knowing Hayner, the first thing he's gonna suggest is something big, and probably messy. Like a volcano."

Olette gave a slight condescending chuckle. "Yeah, like we're really gonna make _that_. I told him we're staying away from volcanoes. Too stereotypical." Mariko nodded in agreement."We need something that'll make a statement, something really interesting." She looked up, seeing the train station only a few blocks away. "Something that moves..."

Suddenly, Mariko snapped her fingers in a 'eureka' moment. "I've got it. A machine. It doesn't have to be too big, maybe this size?" She ghosted a cube shape with her hands, measuring about a square foot in size. "A catapult! It covers everything the teacher's been discussing this past month. Velocity, pressure, resistance..." She counted the factors on her fingers.

Olette tapped her chin in thought, and seeing the potential in the idea, a smile formed on her face. "Powerful, not too big...it could work." Her grin grew wider. "Come on, let's tell the others!" The girls' hands entwined as they picked up speed and ran for the train station, hearing the whistle of the next one departing. As they neared the station, Olette saw two familiar faces drawing closer to the entrance. Their hands separated and Olette ran ahead to meet them. "Guys!" she yelled, quickly getting their attention. Mariko saw them and caught on, following her sister to Pence and Hayner, who turned to face them as the older green-eyed girl slowed down.

"About time you two showed up," Mariko complained. "How the both of you manage to be late for the same train every day never ceases to baffle me."

Pence motioned his head to Hayner, who was in immediate denial of his friend's accusation. "We're not ALWAYS late," the blond argued, holding his hands up defensively. "Just today, and it was because we were thinking up ideas for our project. Hear me out on this." The girls knew what was coming, and as he began to form shapes with his hands and start explaining his plan, they both crossed their arms.

"Hayner, we're NOT building a volcano," Mariko cut him off. "Olette and I saw this coming, so we came up with something better. How's a catapult sound?" The eagerness returned to his face as he quickly imagined it in front of him. Pence breathed a sigh, relieved to know their leader had been successfully persuaded not to build anything guaranteed to explode. Mariko showed off a pouted smirk and held her hand up, which her sister keenly high-fived.

"Told you he'd like it."

Pence was the one to hear the train whistle. "Not to ruin the mood, guys, but we should get going before we miss the train." His friends, who were already close to doing so, nearly forgot about the train about to leave. Hayner and Mariko raced each other to the first door within reach, with the group leader slapping it seconds before she could. Pence brought up the rear and followed his friends in, who held the door until he got inside. The train blew its final whistle and the conductor pulled out of the station, starting the teenagers' journey home.

Being the most artistically skilled of the group, Pence was glad the ride was smooth. It allowed him to sketch preliminary designs for their catapult. The girls took turns reigning in Hayner whenever he suggested something absurd for it. "We're not robotics people," Olette had to remind him. "That means no crazy moving parts. We just need a box and a handle with a spring."

"Come on," he tried persuading them. "Think how badass that'd be. Not only will we have the only catapult, but it'll be the only ROBOTIC catapult. Think how far that baby could throw!"

Mariko pinched between her eyebrows. "As 'badass' as that sounds, we don't have the time or skill to build something that complicated. So let's just stick to that, alright?"

"Fine," he huffed, sliding down in his seat. He began to undo the tie from his school uniform and tucked it into his pocket. "How long do we have to do this project, anyway?"

Pence briefly looked up from his sketch pad. "Teacher said it's due the week before the end of school so we have time to showcase our projects. So from now 'til then, it's three weeks." His head tilted upward as he thought of more things to add to the design, and after another minute, was finished. "Tell me what you guys think," he said to them, and turned the paper around.

Hayner was the first to slide next to Pence and look at the design. "Hmm...interesting..." The design was simple, but the options for paint gave it enough flair to satisfy him.

"S'alright."

Olette examined the drawing. "I like it, and I think I can say the same for Mariko. Right?" Olette turned to the redhead and caught her staring out the window, oblivious to the conversation she'd been a part of moments before. "Hey." She tapped Mariko's arm, gaining her attention. "What do you think of the design?" The older girl briefly glanced at the drawing before shrugging her shoulders and continuing to watch whatever it was she found interesting. Hayner and Pence exchanged confused looks with one another, but Olette recognized the stare her sister wore. The guys stood up, ready to ask her what was wrong, and the brunette stopped them with her arm. "Leave her," she told them. They were hesitant, but did as she told them and continued to discuss the project with them. The three came up with a base plan for getting money for materials, and when the train pulled into Central Station, the guys were ready to depart for their separate houses. Mariko waved goodbye and gave them an acknowledging nod, then headed toward Market Street. Watching her walk away, Pence's worry returned.

"Is she alright? She hasn't been that quiet for a while." He knew when the normally talkative redhead ceased to speak, something was up, something he noticed since their friendship began.

"She'll be fine," Olette reassured them before taking off after her. "Talk to you later."

As the girls vanished down Market Street, the boys crossed their arms. "Wonder what's bugging her."

"Who knows?" the blond shrugged. "Probably just girl problems or something. She'll get over it." He quickly noticed the look his black-haired friend was giving him. "What?"

The taller teen received an eye roll. "Come on, you can't say you're not even a little concerned for her well-being. She is our friend, after all..." As he passed him, Pence pat Hayner's shoulder. "...And if you plan on making a move, you know she's not gonna go for the tough guy act." Hayner choked and gave his friend a wordless stare, not moving from his spot. Then the groan came as he was suddenly reminded of the resurfacing school rumor and he chased after Pence to set him straight.

As night fell on Twilight Town, Mariko spent the remainder of the day by herself. She managed to slip by Seifer's gang without raising any alarms and bolted straight home. Her mother quickly noticed the mood and left her daughter alone, only coming by her room to bring her dinner. The green-eyed teenager ate in silence while keeping her gaze fixed on the window above her bed. Then, as she set her fork down beside the empty plate, she began to speak to the window. "School went okay," she started, moving on top of the mattress. "We got assigned group projects for the end of the year. I'm working with Pence, Olette and Hayner again. And speaking of Hayner, I think Olette's trying to coerce me into asking him out. You'd probably think the same thing as me." Mariko chuckled briefly, and as her eyes fell upon her bracelet, she stopped. The bangle with the seven-pointed star charm, both cast in platinum, was one of the last things she had from her old life. She sighed, feeling her heart sink. "Well, I'll talk to you tomorrow. Good night..." She let out her ponytail and laid down, staring at the stars until she drifted to sleep, her last moments of conscious brain activity telling her he was out there somewhere.


	3. Axel II: Tending to Forged Sentiment

_Lea remembered what it was like when he first became a Nobody. His body felt empty, his mind numb. Though the memories were vague and blurred, the sliver he was able to retain stuck with a force, almost tethered to his body. He didn't know where he was, if anything was real or just in his imagination. The void around him began to form shapes in grays and whites. He found himself in a large room, all surfaces covered in metal. Strange gray creatures crawled out from portals in the floor and surrounded him. They swayed in place, some coming closer and holding him in place. Lea was too weak to fight against them. He remained seated as a man in a black leather cloak came out from a larger portal than what the creatures used, his face shrouded by the cloak's hood._

"_You seek answers," the man said in a deep voice. "You have lost what makes you whole, and now you feel nothing. Nothing feels real, because you have become nothing. Your existence has been stolen from you." The cloaked man swiped his hand in the air from left to right, bringing up three ghosted letters between him and the teenager._

"_Where am I..." he began, his sentence trailing off. "Where are they... Who...am I?" Nothing made sense in Lea's mind. His head was swimming._

_The cloaked man started to circle him, his arms crossed. "Tell me, what do you remember?"_

_His lower lip trembled as he struggled to get the words out. "Lea...my name is Lea. Isa, my sister...they're gone..." Lea's eyes drew upward, meeting the shadowed face of the cloaked man. "I don't feel like...me anymore..."_

"_That is because you are not you," the man replied as he stopped in front of the venetian-haired teenager. "You are no longer whole. But I can make you whole again. I can give you purpose... Are you ready for your new life?" If there were any consequences of taking the deal, they never crossed his mind. Lea nodded without shedding a smile or any emotional response. The cloaked man swiped his hand again, bringing the figments to begin spinning around the teen. His sight stayed focused on the man, who struck his hand out one last time, stopping the letters. An X had been added to the now mixed spelling. "Lea is no more. Until you are whole again, you shall be known as Axel."_

"_Axel..." He repeated his new name._

"_Yes." The cloaked man gestured to his left, and Axel's eyes followed it to a stairway. "Come, Axel. It is time for you rest. And when you awaken again, you will begin your new life here in the Castle, as a member of Organization XIII, and as a Nobody."_

* * *

><p>Dealing with the Dusks after he'd finished his mission tired Axel out, more so mentally than physically. He flopped backwards onto his bed, arms folded under his pillow. Shortly after returning home from his mission, the venetian-haired man dropped his report off on the table in front of the door leading to Saix's quarters. He rolled his eyes as he passed the doorway. After becoming the second-in-command of Organization XIII, Saix had obtained what everyone else believed to be 'special perks'. He was gifted with a spacious room where he could sort through completed and to-be-done assignments, remained undisturbed for countless hours, yet the Nobody barely did anything other than hand out orders and undermine the other Organization members. And what did Axel get? A room no bigger than the one he had in his human days and a manager with a stick up his ass. The whole situation was ridiculous. He and Saix used to be on the same level, only separated by their order of initiation into the Organization. Axel couldn't understand what made the once sarcastic Nobody, once his best friend, into an apathetic being who preached about Nobodies being unable to feel emotion. The only thing he knew for sure was that their friendship was as nonexistent as themselves, and his friendship with Roxas was quickly growing.<p>

He was glad to learn all the missions had been handed out for the day and that he wouldn't be getting another one at least until the morning. The Dusks that watched him for the duration of the mission had called forth a piece of his memories from years ago, when he was starting out as a Nobody for the Organization. He feared his new body, his powers, even his new name. Nothing felt familiar. The walls of his room were cold, uninviting, much like most of the other residents in the castle. He remembered first meeting his predecessors. Xigbar was the only one who could match Isa's former attitude. Axel knew the Organization's No. II used to be a guard for Ansem the Wise's castle, going by the name of Braig. The same went for Lexaeus and Xaldin, who, as Dilan and Aeleus, used to stand guard at the castle's front gate, though they were much quieter than their superior. The three recognized the teenager immediately but didn't say more than a few words to him, all along the 'delinquent' spectrum. Meeting Vexen and Zexion was a first for him, as he hadn't encountered either one in his human life. Saix, formerly his best friend Isa, remained unchanged. So for a little while, he at least had someone to spend time with and make him feel not so alone.

But no matter how long Saix held the same personality as his friend and remained by his side, an emptiness remained in Axel's being. Their leader explained that this sense of emptiness was normal, as they were all Nobodies now. Axel knew that wasn't all; there was something else. He spent days trying to figure out what was missing to no avail.

"Can't believe how stupid I was," he commented as he sat up to remove his cloak and gloves, tossing them to the floor. No matter how used to wearing the jacket he'd become, having the thick leathery material rub against his skin never ceased to annoy him. How long had it been since he was first required to wear it? He counted the days in his head, and after passing a certain point, huffed in further annoyance. "Almost ten years... That long, huh? I can hardly believe it..."

The venetian-haired Nobody had become a part of Organization XIII a few weeks before his sixteenth birthday, and grew from a teenager to an adult as a non-human. In all that time, he'd been unable to return home to see his family. He wondered how they were doing, or if anyone even knew he was gone. He wondered the same for Saix, though if anyone _was_ worried about the golden-eyed Nobody, Axel was sure he wouldn't care.

All those negative, anxiety-inducing thoughts were getting to him. "Dammit," he muttered under his breath. "I've gotta get outta here for a while." The Nobody pulled himself off the bed and reached for his coat, reluctantly putting it back on and zipping it halfway up. If he was going to sneak out without alerting Saix's radar for a while, the best option was to move via dark corridor. Throwing the hood over his head, Axel opened a dark portal in one of the corners of his room and stepped through it before it vanished.

Most would believe that, being a world ruled by Nobodies, The World That Never Was only had said creatures as residents in its towns. But to the disbelief of most, regular humans resided in the towns, especially the one below the castle: Dark City, the capital. It was the reason the city was always lit up and could be seen from the reaches of space. The citizens of the world's capital were notorious party animals and bounce from one club to another to spend every second of the night dancing until they couldn't. Lucky enough the few Heartless that lurked stayed in the alleyways like common sewer rats, and if the Shadows ever ventured beyond that into the main square, the citizens were more than capable of fending for themselves. They rarely left their parties, though, and the Shadows could never sneak in so they were never a problem. The Nobodies were never a problem for them, either; living in the world of the Nobodies, the citizens were used to their appearances, which were scarce. Rain was a common occurrence in The World That Never Was, and that night was no different. Axel walked out of a dark portal that appeared on the wall in an alleyway, easily destroying the few Shadows that came at him with a single swing of his chakrams. Once in the main street, he listened for the building with the loudest music, finding it without a problem. It was a short stroll to the club, and when he went in, a party was just getting started. He kept his face concealed as he weaved through the growing crowd of people to reach the bar. He took the first available stool in sight and leaned his arm on the counter. "Give me a bourbon," he asked the bartender.

"You got an ID?" the bartender asked as he cleaned a glass before setting it down. Axel didn't hesitate to pull his hood back just enough for the man to see his face and some of his hair, and in realization of who he was speaking to, immediately got to work on preparing his drink. "There." He passed the glass to the Nobody. "Just the way you like it." Axel grabbed the glass and downed half of its contents in a single gulp. "Take it easy there, buddy. Trouble in paradise?"

"You don't know the half of it," the venetian-haired man replied. The bartender was the only outside who knew of Organization XIII's basic inner workings, though he never said a word to others about their rulers. Axel frequented his club enough that the bartender, a graying middle-aged man, knew exactly what he wanted, how he wanted it and how many he needed depending on his mood. But the graying man never spoke too loudly, for he knew Axel wanted to keep his appearances outside of the castle under wraps from both the humans and his fellow Nobodies. If humans discovered one of their rulers was drinking amongst them...well, he didn't know how the general populous would react. But the last thing he needed was for Saix to get word of his subordinate slacking off, and that'd be the end of non-escorted missions for him. The Dusks were already enough to deal with. "The boss and his pet are still trying to keep me under watch. They've got the lower life forms on my tail now instead of our own ranks. I don't know whether to be relieved or embarrassed."

The bartender shrugged his shoulders. "Well, think of it this way: at least you get to 'accidentally' destroy the little buggers if you mistake them for a Heartless, right?" Axel raised his glass in agreement and took a smaller sip. "What about that plan to get your friend to his senses?" His grip on the glass tightened.

"He's a lost cause. I don't know how, but somehow he was brainwashed. There's no getting him back now." He watched the bartender refill his glass.

"That's a shame. And the other one?"

His eyes fell to the counter. "I'm not sure where to start with that. I'm under too close of a watch to even try anything." Axel sighed. "At this rate, I'll never find-"

"Don't give up so easily," the man interrupted as he put a bottle of liquor back on its shelf. "You may be backed into a corner, but that doesn't mean you've got no options." In his human life Axel heard many of the local adults talk about the bartender having a gift for giving advice. He'd thought it was just the alcohol in their systems, but as he became a regular patron of the one near his home of ten years, he learned the truth behind those words.

A smirk took over the corner of Axel's mouth. "Yeah...you're right." He finished the contents of his glass and handed the bartender a munny bill. "Guess if I told you I lack emotions since I don't have a heart, you'd have something witty to say to that, too." The bartender gave him a nod and handed the Nobody the change for his drink. He stood up and turned, saying he'd be back soon as he paved a path through the now large group of dancing people, who gave him not so much as an acknowledging glance when he left the club.

Outside again, he left the hood up when he heard thunder rumble in the sky. "Weather's picking up..." He thought it best to head back to the castle before anyone caught wind of his disappearance, but something kept him from heading in its direction. Instead, the Organization's No. VIII treaded toward the skyscraper in the center of town. He leapt and climbed up the side until he felt the familiar lining of the roof, and pulled himself over the barrier. From the top of the building, the view of the World That Never Was was, as he referred to it, irreproachable. The collection of buildings casting their light on a world forever cast in shadow had a dark, ethereal emotion to it. It was the compete opposite of the world he used to live in, named for the radiance held in its structures and the shimmer brought on by the sun. Radiant Garden seemed so far away, both in distance and as a distant memory. Turning around his eyes landed on the Castle That Never Was, the fortress of the Nobodies that the citizens of the world both feared and respected. Times like that night, casually conversing with the bartender in a club filled to capacity with worry-free partiers, made him somewhat jealous. They were free to do what they pleased, and more importantly, feel what they pleased. Axel wasn't so fortunate. He received speech after speech on the nonexistence of himself or his emotions, the idea of having a heart hammered into his skull. Maybe what he was feeling – or what he thought he was feeling – was the reason Saix and Xemnas had repeated those words so many times. Emotions meant complication in the thinking process, something the Organization needed everyone to use to its fullest, most focused potential.

Did that mean his loneliness wasn't real?


End file.
